Mad City
by Velvet
Summary: Bayley's a rock star, Sasha is her manager. Inspired by their recent social media posts. Femslash.
1. Chapter 1

Still half-asleep, Bayley reached out across the king-sized bed, only to find the sheets empty. Her eyes opened then, squinting at the familiar white light emanating from the living room of their suite. With a sigh, she stood up, pulling on one of her oversized concert t-shirts.

As expected, once she trudged into the other room, she saw her girlfriend hunched over her laptop. Sasha was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice her presence, not until Bayley went to her, nuzzling her nose in her dark hair.

Sasha stopped typing then, twisting in her seat to smile up at the other woman. "Oh, hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. You know I don't sleep well when you're not next to me." Bayley pulled a chair closer and sat down, once again burying her face in her lover's hair. "Come back to bed."

With a slight smile, Sasha resumed typing, though she didn't pull away from Bayley's touch. "If I don't send these emails, you're not going to get a private jet for all your bookings in Europe this summer."

"What happens if they fall through? Does that mean we can stay home? I can work on my next album… and we can relax, sleep in late… go out on dates?"

Sasha shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She knew Bayley was half-joking, there was no musician who was more dedicated to fulfilling their commitments, always conscious of never letting her fans down. But she didn't miss the wistfulness in her tone, particularly in the last part of her question. "Baby… I promise, once your fall tour is over, I'll slow down with your schedule and you can spend all winter in the studio. You're just so in-demand right now. I want to strike while the iron's hot." She turned her head, meeting the other woman's gaze. "I just… I want everyone to hear your music. I want everyone to fall in love with you. I know I can make you the biggest rock star in the world."

Bayley quirked a smile, but it was a little bittersweet. "I know you're only doing what's best for me. For us," she amended. "But I don't want to be the biggest rock star in the world. I already have more money than I can spend in my lifetime. I just want to make music, and have my fans feel like I do when I listened to the bands I loved when I was growing up." Her voice grew stronger, more certain. "And I want to go out with the love of my life, and not hide how I feel about her. I don't want to pretend that she's just my manager anymore."

Sasha was suddenly reminded of the conversation she had with Bayley when her music first started getting traction and the interview requests began. She remembered how adamant Bayley was about not hiding her sexuality, how important she said it was for her to have representation growing up, and how she wanted to be a role model for the girls and boys who needed her. She couldn't deny her then, and she couldn't deny her now. She reached out to tangle her fingers in her lover's hair, a smile touching her lips. "I want that too. But… I want to do what's best for your career. You know you're more marketable if it looks like you're single."

"Babe. Look at me. I'm not Bieber. I'm never gonna have teenage girls swooning over me."

Sasha's smile widened then, a flash of white in the darkness. "I don't think you know just how swoon-worthy you are."

Blushing, Bayley ducked her head. "You're biased," she muttered.

"I think I know the appeal of my sexy rock star girlfriend better than anyone." Still smiling, she leant forward to press a kiss to the other woman's lips. "Just give me some more time to figure it out?"

The musician finally smiled in response, and agreed with a nod. "Ok. You're the Boss."

Sasha laughed awkwardly at the nickname that all their business partners had given her. "Not between us."

"No. Never." Bayley reached out to take her hand, her smile growing contemplative. "Remember when we first met?"

"How could I forget? I was walking past the music rooms in school one day and heard you playing your guitar. I marched inside and told you that I wanted to be your manager."

"You tried to tell me that you had a cousin who was a famous rapper."

"I do have a cousin who's a famous rapper!"

"I know. But I'm so proud that you never asked him for anything, and everything we did, we did on our own. Together, as partners." She tugged Sasha into her lap then, and Sasha let her, knowing how much Bayley loved to cuddle. Suddenly, it occurred to her just how much that Bayley had been holding back in public, not being able to be physically affectionate, and her heart clenched at the sacrifice she had unknowingly been asking the other woman to make all these years. Bayley buried her face in her hair again, murmuring in her ear. "I know I was too scared to tell you how I felt until, like, three years later at the launch party for my first album. But I fell in love with you that day, with the tiny purple-haired whirlwind that completely turned my life upside-down. I've waited so long, that I can keep waiting. Whenever you're ready."

Sasha didn't trust herself to speak, she could only squeeze the strong arms around her waist. Bayley took it as her cue to let her go, and she settled back into her seat again. She turned to watch as Bayley moved over to couch, picking up her guitar on the way.

"How many more emails do you need to send?"

"I might need another thirty minutes to reply to the ones I have left?"

"Ok. I'll keep you company. I have a melody stuck in my head anyway, and I want to get it down."

Sasha smiled. "Thanks Bay. I love you."

"Love you too, Sash."


	2. Chapter 2

"Bayley."

The rock star groaned at the sound of her name and buried herself further into the sheets. "One more hour," she mumbled.

She heard Sasha laugh, then felt a kiss being pressed to her cheek. "Ok. You got one more hour. But I just wanted to tell you that I'm going off to my breakfast meeting."

Bayley forced her eyes open then. A slow smile spread over her face as she took in the sight of the other woman. "Wow."

Sasha glanced down at herself. She was wearing an outfit that Bayley must have seen several times, one of the many tailored suits that had turned into her uniform for business meetings over the years. "What? I've worn this before," she said, her voice puzzled.

"I know. But you're still the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen."

Sasha laughed again, and bent down to kiss Bayley on the lips. "Go back to sleep, you goofball. Cathy's coming at 11 to go through your interviews for the next few days, I set your alarm so you've got time to take a shower and change before she comes. I'll be back by lunch."

"Ok." The brunette snuggled contentedly back into her pillow. "Love you."

"I love you too." Sasha quietly closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath, taking a moment to school her features into stillness, forcing herself to leave the caring girlfriend back in the bedroom with Bayley. Sasha spent a few more minutes in the bathroom, applying her lipstick, putting on her earrings. By the time she grabbed her clutch to complete her outfit, her transformation into the hard-assed business manager was complete. She made her way out of their penthouse suite and down to the lobby, the valets scrambling to find her car as soon as they saw her.

Even with the Los Angeles traffic, it was only a short trip to the Chateau Marmont. She followed the hostess to the table she had reserved, seeing that her guest was already there. Tony stood up as soon as they made eye contact. "Boss."

"Tony," she greeted in return, taking her seat.

"It's good to see you in L.A." He took a sip of his water, flicking his napkin into his lap. "I never understood why you choose to live in Austin."

"Bayley prefers it out there."

"You don't have to live with her, you know that?"

Sasha gave him a thin, wintry smile. "We must be doing something right if she sold two million units last year."

Tony laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Touché. So… what can I do for you today, Boss?"

"Tony, the question is what can I do for you." She caught the eye of their waiter, and signaled him over to take their order. Once they were alone again, she sat back in her seat and studied the man across from her. "Bayley will be touring in the fall. We wanted to ask one of your artists to join her."

"Who do you want?"

"Kia."

But Tony was shaking his head even before the name left her lips. "No. No. Kia doesn't open for anyone."

"Tony… you know how this business has changed. The old models don't apply anymore, Kia won't be an opening act for Bayley. Bayley idolized Kia when she was growing up, she thinks their music complement each other and she wants them to be equals. Think of this as… a supershow."

"Ok. So… who will be playing last?"

"Bayley, of course."

"So Kia will be opening for Bayley."

"Look, Tony…" Sasha leant forward, fixing the other manager with her gaze. "Let's not beat around the bush. Kia's last album was a flop. She hasn't had a hit single in years. Then she had that DUI and went off the radar for awhile. This is a good opportunity for her. Bayley had the best selling rock album last year. She'll be all over the European festivals this summer, but she wanted to do this tour because it was the kind of venues she went to as a kid, and why she got into music. That's how we're going to sell it, and it's the perfect re-introduction for Kia to the public again."

The waiter returned with their food then, and they took advantage of the interruption, Sasha watching the other man keenly as the wheels turned in his head even as they ate. Finally, Tony sighed and put down his fork. "Twenty percent of the gate."

"Ten." She jumped in when she saw Tony opening his mouth to object. "And merch sales." That made him pause, and Sasha pressed home her advantage. "It's a good deal. Kia hasn't done a tour in years, people will be itching to get their hands on her stuff."

Tony hesitated for a moment longer, before he finally gave in with a curt nod. "Send the papers over to my office."

"I'll get our lawyers right on it." Sasha took a sip of her mimosa to hide her victorious smile. "And we'll organize promo opportunities for Kia with Bayley. She actually believes in the supershow crap."

Tony snorted a laugh. "Of course she does."

"It's not her fault she's too pure-hearted for this business." Her lips twitched wryly. "That's why she has me."

"Trust me. We know." Tony finished his drink, and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He signaled the waiter for their bill, before turning back to Sasha, studying her intently. "So… Boss. When are you coming to the big leagues?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sasha, I love Bayley. All musicians are egotistical dicks, but Bayley is one of the sweetest egotistical dicks I've ever met. But even you must admit she has a ceiling. You don't, not as a manager. And you know how much more you can earn, how much more you can do with the biggest management company in the world. Join us."

Sasha was silent for a few minutes. Then she pulled out a wad of cash, enough to cover their meal as well as a substantial tip. She threw it on the table, before standing up to leave. "You're wrong. Bayley doesn't have a ceiling. And we're gonna prove it to you."


	3. Chapter 3

Even on stage, Bayley kept an eye on the striking purple-haired woman working her way through the crowd. She watched as Sasha exchanged a smile with one guest, shaking hands with another, taking business cards from people who wanted to speak with her later. She knew her manager had been meticulous with the guest list for the launch party of her first album, making sure that there were plenty of people in the audience who they could impress and work with at some point in her career.

Yet it was also a celebration of their success. Of Bayley's many hours writing her music, playing with her band and working with her producers in the studio. Of Sasha's relentless networking and promotion, doing everything she could for Bayley's music to be heard, until she was finally signed with a label. Many of their friends and family had joined them for the party. In front of the microphone, Bayley smiled down at her brother and sister who were jumping up and down in excitement, screaming themselves hoarse.

The one person who wasn't there was the woman that Bayley had been kind of, sort of, seeing for the past few months. She threw a tantrum when she found out that she wasn't invited, that she wasn't going to be introduced as Bayley's girlfriend. It didn't matter how many times Bayley had gently told her she wasn't looking for anything serious and tried to make sure that she was ok with her lack of committment. Bayley finally took it as an opportunity to break up with her for good. There was only one person that she really wanted to celebrate with tonight, anyway.

"Thank you everyone, enjoy the party!" she shouted into the crowd as she finished her set. She flashed a smile at the people who had gathered to speak with her at the front of the stage, but first turned away to put her guitar down. Her bass player intercepted her as soon as she got the strap over her head, sweeping her up in a hug.

"Bayley, this is so amazing! I can't believe this is finally happening."

"I know dude, me too!" She squeezed his shoulder. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"Nah man, this is all on you. And Sasha." His smile turned sly. "By the way, she looks good tonight."

Bayley immediately felt the dull roar of jealousy in her chest, something primal scrabbling to get out. But she forced it down with an awkward laugh. "Come on Ricky, you're gayer than I am."

"I'm just saying." He hugged her again, taking the opportunity to whisper in her ear. "Ask her out."

"Ricky, even though you're gay, you might have more of a shot with her than I do. I don't even know if she could like me in that way. And I don't want to screw up our professional relationship…"

"Dude, have you seen the way she looks at you? Ask. Her. Out."

She gave him a wistful smile, before letting him go to meet his own friends and family. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the crowd again, her eyes automatically sweeping the room in search of Sasha. She found her speaking to her cousin, but glancing occasionally at the stage over his shoulder. Their eyes met, and the other woman smiled at her, bright and happy at how well the night was going. Bayley couldn't help but return it, feeling her spirits lift again.

Her game face back on, she joined the group beckoning to her from the front of the stage. For the rest of the night, she moved from guest to guest, Sasha occasionally appearing by her side to introduce her to someone she needed to meet. Neither she nor Sasha drank too much, always aware that they could be speaking with a potential collaborator, a potential advocate. But as the night wound down, as more and more people left, they felt comfortable drinking a few glasses of champagne until it was finally time to usher out the remaining crowd, and to say their goodbyes to the venue's staff.

So as they made their way home to the apartment they had begun sharing a year earlier, Sasha was only slightly unsteady on her stiletto heels, as much from exhaustion as from the effects of alcohol. She leant on the door jamb as she waited for Bayley to find her keys, and pulled at a lock of her own hair, eyeing it critically. "I might go back to black. What do you think?"

"I think you'd look beautiful whatever color you choose." The response came before Bayley could help herself. She cleared her throat to try and hide her slip. "But I don't think I've ever seen you with your natural hair before."

"Yeah, I started dyeing it when I was sixteen. I went with red and pink first before I tried purple. But after tonight, it might be time to look a bit more professional."

"Sasha, in the past three years, you got me hundreds of bookings, interviews, sponsors and finally a record deal. I think you look professional enough already." She reached out to tug playfully at the other woman's hair. "But you haven't made a wrong decision for me yet, I don't think you will when you're deciding on your hair color."

"Thanks Bay." She hid a yawn as Bayley pushed the door open, following her into their apartment. "But that can wait, right now all I want is…"

She trailed off when she saw what was in their living room. There was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot chilling on ice, as well as a box from her favorite bakery sitting on their coffee table. She looked at Bayley, who was smiling at her nervously. "My sister came by after she left the party to set this up. I knew we wouldn't be drinking much since we were working. And I knew you would be too busy rushing around to eat today. I can tell you're tired… but tonight was a big deal, Sasha, and I don't feel like we were able to celebrate properly. Will you have a drink with me?"

Sasha's expression softened, some of the exhaustion falling away. "Of course I will." She kicked off her heels and sank on to their thick shag-pile rug, leaning back against the couch to watch Bayley pop the cork on the champagne.

Handing her one of the glasses, Bayley joined her on the floor. The musician was silent for a few moments, before she lifted her head and met the other woman's eyes with a smile. "To us. Thank you for being the best partner I can ask for, Sasha. You make all my dreams come true."

"Thank you for doing the same for me. To your first album, and to many more together." Sasha returned the smile, clinking their glasses together. After taking a sip, she rested her head on Bayley's shoulder. "You sounded so great tonight, Bay. Every time I see you perform, it reminds me why I do this."

Bayley reached up to tangle her fingers in the other woman's hair, lightly scratching at her scalp, feeling Sasha relax even further into her touch. But she had to ask the question, something she had been wondering for the past three years. "Why do you do this, Sasha? I mean, things are going well now, but for awhile, we were running on the smell of an oily rag. That's why we decided to move in together, so that we could save money. If you had bailed, I wouldn't have blamed you."

Sasha didn't answer for a few moments, taking another sip of her champagne. Finally, she said "When I first heard you play, from outside the music rooms in school, before we even met… it felt like your music was speaking just to me. I still feel that same way every time you perform. I knew I wanted to help you share that with the world." She reached out to tilt the brunette's chin up, making Bayley lift her eyes to look at her. "And you're amazing Bay, you know that? Not just with the music… but every time someone meets you, they want to support you, they want to work with you. You're so good and kind and genuine… you make everyone fall in love with you."

Bayley couldn't help herself. She glanced down at Sasha's lips, wondering what it'd be like to finally close the distance and kiss. Then, kicking herself mentally, she hurridely looked away. As a distraction, she pulled the dessert box closer and opened the lid, hearing Sasha sigh happily at the sight.

"Wow. I can't believe you got one of Dee Dee's Chocolate Bombs."

"I know it's your favorite."

"You're always looking out for me." Not bothering with a plate, Sasha speared a forkful of ganache, chocolate mousse and cake. She hesitated for a moment, before bringing up the fork to tease it against Bayley's lips, who laughingly pushed her hand away.

"Sasha! What are you doing?"

"You don't want it?"

"I got it for you." But Bayley didn't say no when Sasha offered it again for a second time. She knew some crumbs had caught on the edge of her mouth, and she brought her hand up to wipe them away. Then Sasha stopped her, reaching up herself to smooth at her lip with her thumb. Bayley held her breath, as Sasha looked at her with those deep, dark eyes that she had always loved.

Their first kiss was slow, tentative. Weighted down by all the reasons why it was a bad idea, how a personal relationship going badly could wreck their professional relationship. When they parted, Bayley could see the uncertainty written all over the other woman's face. She wanted, more than anything, to wipe it away. Their lips met again, more heatedly this time, Bayley tugging the other woman into her lap, threading her fingers into purple hair, moaning as Sasha eagerly kissed her back.

She was just about to slide the straps of Sasha's dress down her shoulders, when Bayley forced herself to pull back, shaking her head slightly to clear it of the daze she was in. "Sasha… wait," she said breathlessly. "This can't be just one night for me. If we do this… I want to really do this. Be together. I've been in love with you for years."

Sasha smiled, bringing Bayley's hand to her lips and kissing her knuckles. "Idiot," she murmured fondly. "I told you five minutes ago that I was in love with you too."

It was like a lightbulb went off in the musician's head. "Ohhh."

Laughing, Sasha got to her feet, pulling Bayley up with her. She drew her in for another kiss before leading them down the hallway to her bedroom, their hands still clasped together.


End file.
